1. Field of the Invention
The preferred embodiments of the present invention relate, inter alia, to a controller for a remaining liquid amount meter for displaying the remaining amount of liquid in a tank of a vehicle.
2. Description of the Related Art
The following description sets forth the inventor's knowledge of related art and problems therein and should not be construed as an admission of knowledge in the prior art.
In a remaining liquid amount meter for displaying a remaining amount of liquid in a tank of a vehicle, it is generally configured to detect, for example, the liquid surface level in the tank to display the remaining amount of the liquid. The remaining liquid amount meter of this kind is used as a meter for indicating the remaining amount of fuel. In a two-wheeled vehicle configured to be parked using a side stand, the vehicle is raised upright with the side stand folded at the time of starting the vehicle. The liquid level of the fuel in the storage tank changes between the state in which the vehicle is parked using the side stand and the state in which the vehicle is stood upright. In a two-wheeled vehicle, changes of the liquid surface level of the fuel in the storage tank are also caused by the inclination of the vehicle to the right or left at the time of turning as well as the vibration of the vehicle at the time of traveling on an unpaved road. Such fluctuations of the liquid surface of the fuel in the storage tank may change the liquid surface level to be detected, which in turn results in fluctuations of the remaining liquid amount displayed by the remaining liquid amount meter.
A meter for displaying the remaining amount of fuel in a two-wheeled vehicle is disclosed in Japanese Patent No. 3909618. In this patent, the data update time is changed based on the vehicle speed determination result. When the vehicle speed is low, the data update time is shortened and the liquid surface is detected within a time shorter than the data update time. At the end of the data update time, the remaining fuel amount is displayed based on the detected value. According to the aforementioned patent, the accurate remaining fuel amount can be displayed in a short time after raising the vehicle upright, which in turn results in a remaining liquid amount meter for a vehicle with less display delay. Moreover, the update data time is set to long during the running of the vehicle. Therefore, even if the fuel is waved while the vehicle is running, it is possible to prevent occurring of deteriorated visibility due to flickering of the display of the remaining liquid amount meter.
According to the remaining liquid amount meter disclosed in the aforementioned Japanese patent No. 3909618, the display is updated at specified updating time intervals. Thus, it is considered that even in cases where the liquid surface is waving, by increasing the number of displays, an average value can be displayed and that the display of the remaining amount of fuel is not changed excessively. However, since the display of the remaining amount of fuel is updated simply at specified updating time intervals, the display to be updated depends on the detected value at a certain updating time. This may cause incorrect displaying of the remaining amount of fuel depending on the update timing. As a meter for displaying the remaining amount of fuel of a vehicle, it is preferable to display the remaining amount of fuel as correctly as possible while restraining the display flickering of the remaining liquid amount meter.
The description herein of advantages and disadvantages of various features, embodiments, methods, and apparatus disclosed in other publications is in no way intended to limit the present invention. For example, certain features of the preferred embodiments of the invention may be capable of overcoming certain disadvantages and/or providing certain advantages, such as, e.g., disadvantages and/or advantages discussed herein, while retaining some or all of the features, embodiments, methods, and apparatus disclosed therein.